REVIEWS

NEW Book for PMI-PfMP Exam Prep: A new book is now available to prepare for and crack the Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) certification exam. PfMP is the highest-level certification offered by Project Management Institute (PMI):

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It's a partial list of reviews.
For all reviews, please refer respective Success Stories and review tags of this site.
 
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Review: Certified Hybrid-Agile Master Profssional (CHAMP)

The important strength of the CHAMP certification course was it starts from the beginning of planning a project via the traditional waterfall approach which we are all so used to. Then the course slowly guides us on how to incorporate the agile features such as Scrum and Kanban in this project plan, thus ending with a full-blown Hybrid project plan.

In my view, following are the key aspects: 

  • It guides you from the very beginning right up to the final project reports. 
  • The course is structured very methodically, and all videos are short and very precise in showing what is being covered in course content.
  • A lot of tricks, techniques and tips are shared by Satya to make you more productive as a Hybrid-Agile master practitioner. His instructions are very clear and easy to understand. 
  • You will get answers to any additional queries you may have during the course promptly.
  • Every module is well guided, and all the instructional videos are clear and easy to follow. 
  • Concepts are clearly explained, and tips and techniques are also shown along the way enable you to be more productive in your Hybrid-Agile planning.

I guarantee that after going through these topics you will not have any apprehension on how to plan a hybrid project using MS Project.

The quality of the video and audio are excellent and understanding Satya’s instructions and accent is not an issue. You can grasp all the technical concepts very easily. The investment you put for this certification course is money and time well spent. 

— Dr Kish Ranai, CHAMP, Management Professional based out of Singapore.

CHAMP Success Story by Dr Kish Ranai, CHAMP: One of the Best Hybrid-Agile Certification Courses I Ever Attended

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Live Lessons Reviews: ACP LIVE LESSONS


The ACP Live Lessons course comes with a money back guarantee with no conditions applied, except you appearing in the exam. I was very certain that this course is a complete package to earn this certification. Also, I’ve already used Satya’s PMP Live Lessons, which helped me to clear the PMP exam. Hence, I didn’t have any second thoughts before getting the Live lessons and the I Want To Be An ACP book from Satya.

The ACP Live Lesson course covers every possible aspect of Agile and associated concepts. Satya has created short and long videos and broken down the lessons in such a way that it makes our life easier. At certain points Satya asks a few questions which act like revisions automatically. There are a set of Smart Card questions after every domain which ensures you have the fundamentals in place. 

After every domain there are a good number of mock questions provided. This helps you to gauge your understanding with respect to the specific domain. Once you are done preparing with all the domains, there are lessons available with video exercises which gauges your overall understanding of this course. 

I found this course very helpful in understanding the Agile principles, values, methodologies in a very insightful way.

After you are done with all the domains and practice tests provided at the end of the individual lessons, there are six full-length questions sets provided in this course. These question sets get tougher with each set. 

These question sets will train to face the exam questions where you get 180 minutes to appear 120 questions. My score was consistently above 95 to 100. Satya informed me these scores are good.

Finally, in my ACP exam, I was able to score Above Target in five domains and Target in two domains. This I did in a few months after the knowledge I gained using this course material and by doing 6 full length questions provided by Satya.

Sindhu Pillai, PMI-ACP, Project Manager in Kyndryl (previously IBM).

ACP Live Lessons Success Story by Sindhu Pillai, PMI-ACP, PMP: ACP Live Lessons is the Best Way to Earn Your PMI-ACP Credential

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I’ve gone through this course of ACP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass course in depth. I’ve also checked the lesson-end as well as full-length questions. Below is my detailed review
 
Let’s start with the Unique Selling Point (USP) of the course. This course provides you with all the concepts and knowledge gathered from all the reference books (10+) prescribed by PMI for the ACP examination. For example, you have books for Scrum in detail, two books for Kanban, and multiple other books related to Agile. Hence, this course virtually makes it a one stop study guide for passing your PMI-ACP examination. 

The bonus is that it comes with a full Money Back guarantee which speaks a lot about the confidence of the author in his material.

Some of the top advantages of this course are as follows:

  • This is a complete course since it starts from explaining the PMI-ACP certification, its background, prerequisites, application procedure, exam fees, and exam pattern all the way to maintaining your PMI-ACP certification once you have achieved it. 
  • The course is structured in such a way that it follows the Agile Practice Guide, which is a key guide for the examination.
  • This course also provides you with the mandatory training hours required for qualifying to apply for the PMI-ACP exam.
  • This course is so comprehensive that it will not only enable the student to pass the PMI-ACP exam if they prepare well but will also provide them with the knowledge required to practice agile values, principles and approach in real time projects.

While the lesson-end questions provided me with an opportunity to test my knowledge and understanding of the lesson, the full-length questions prepared me for the exam.

The one that helped me the most in my understanding of agile principles was "Lesson – 10: Various Agile Exercises". This is truly a differentiator and helps you master agile practices.

This course covers all concepts related to Agile including advanced Agile Management. This helps you to get a holistic knowledge of Agile and not just from an exam point of view alone. This will come in handy when you practically apply agile in your real time projects.


John P S Oliver, PMI-ACP, Supply Chain Manager

ACP Live Lessons Review by John P S Oliver, PMI-ACP, PMP, RMP, PMI-PBA: One Stop Solution to Ace the PMI-ACP Exam
 
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Live Lessons Reviews: RMP LIVE LESSONS


The RMP Live Lessons course will definitely help the individuals in understanding the importance of changing the thought processes about Risks and Risk Management. It’s more important than earning the RMP credential. 

Your whole perspective will change when you start going through the videos. Taking the RMP Live Lessons course will help you think about the future state of the project and help you run your project by identifying and mitigating the risks.

I’ve gone through the course of RMP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass for over 30 days. I’ve gone through all the videos. 

I found all videos to be crisp and clear. In my view, these are some of the key features of this course:

  • The course is truly UNIQUE. It has all the blends and flavors that will be covered from the PMI’s Practice Standard for Risk Management, The Standard for Risk in Portfolios, Programs and Projects and the PMBOK Guide, the latest edition.
  • It also covers new contents which are not available anywhere such as a large set of exercises in video format and a number of flow diagram exercises. 
  • There are a number of Lessons (total 16) and an exhaustive set of videos. Among these lessons, I particularly liked the following ones the most.
    • Lesson of Risk Identification, 
    • Lesson of Quantitative Risk Analysis, and 
    • Lesson of Risk Response Planning. 
      These will be very important for your RMP exam.
  • Every lesson ends with a number of practice questions. It makes you think differently and tackle different real time scenarios to overcome the risks. Remember that most of the RMP exam questions will be situational.
  • For my RMP exam, I had referred Satya Sir’s RMP book. This video course goes much deeper into the topics and explanations. Satya Sir mentions to read the PMI’s Risk Management related Standards, but in my view this course is sufficient for the RMP exam. 
  • In my view, you need not refer any other content (only have to browse), if you proceed thoroughly with this course.
  • There are extensive sets of videos on areas such as Monte Carlo Simulations, Latin Hypercube Simulations which will be very important for your RMP exam.
  • Concepts such as Risk Attitude Spectrum, Probabilistic Analysis are thoroughly explained. 
  • In total there are 5 full-length questions – each having 170 questions with answers. These will prepare you very well for the RMP exam. 

After going through the course, I feel it's the best in the industry. I strongly believe that though there will be other courses, the BEST will be only one, and it's this course.


— V Satya Viswanadha Raju, RMP, PMP, Operations Manager – DXC Technology

RMP Live Lessons Review by V Satya Viswanadha Raju, RMP: A Must-Have Course if You Are Serious About Risk Management


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Live Lessons Reviews: PMP LIVE LESSONS


I'm the first one to clear the PMP examination with the help of Satya’s PMP Live Lesson Videos, Satya’s Book – “I Want To Be A PMP” and the PMBOK guide, within 45 days of preparation. I did not refer any other books or material, as I did not want to confuse myself. 

The best part about Live Lessons - it was like a classroom session and I could repeat it as many times as I want, till I understand it. All the chapters in the Live Lesson Videos are in line with the PMBOK guide. Hence, one can refer PMBOK guide simultaneously.

The most helpful part of the videos were the key input outputs which Satya explicitly mentions for each process and the flow charts which made a lot of sense in understanding the integration of the processes. Separate video sessions on important topics like Change Requests/Change Management, Earned Value Management (EVM), Organizational Process Assets (OPA) and Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF), helped in quick revision.

Remembering key inputs and outputs were made easy as they were highlighted where ever the process integrates and there were tips given to revise once you reach certain phase in learning. To top it all, the practice questions after each topic helped in gauging the understanding after each chapter. There were around 130 to 150 practice questions provided after each chapter, which covered even the minor details of the PMBOK Guide. 

Overall, the videos helped in understanding the concept in a layman’s language without which going through PMBOK and understanding would have been very challenging.

— Sindhu Pillai, PMP, Project Manager. Managing IT infrastructure and banking projects

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of Sindhu Pillai: PMP Battle Won With 45 Days of Preparation


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I initially bought the Book, "I Want To Be A PMP” and the content blew me away and I straightaway knew that the investment in the “PMP Live Lessons” will be worth it. You realise after the successful completion of the exam that it was not just the money that mattered, it was probably everything else! After all, before you become a PMP, you need to learn to do the cost-benefit analysis and ROI calculations, for your own self ;)

The mind mapping of process groups, knowledge areas, ITTOs with the scenarios and examples is the key feature of the “PMP Live Lessons”. What makes it distinct is, I never found a single word “wasted”. It is just necessary and sufficient. You never feel fatigued even after long hours of hearing the videos because it keeps you at the edge of your learning experience at all times, simply because of the smooth flow that is created between one topic and its preceding and succeeding ones.

With my own exam experience and my batchmates' I can clearly tell that the Risk, Procurement, Quality, Stakeholder & Integration Management were key focus areas and those topics are covered in the Live Lessons with razor sharp precision.

The effective usage of “key” technical terms by Satya in the videos is so intriguing, you can actually map the process flows without even looking at it, but by just listening to it! 

The craftmanship of the material is unreal when you compare it with the approach that the PMBOK® Guide takes to provide you the same information in a complex manner with cumbersome language, which becomes difficult to map to a day in the life of a project manager.  The Smart Cards at the end of each lesson and the Practice Questions probably touch every aspect of the PMBOK® Guide but in a very simply yet effective way – I now am a believer of the proverb “Beauty lies in simplicity”!

I probably wouldn’t be exaggerating if I’d say that every word that Satya has spoken has some correlation to the way the concepts get registered in your memory. Satya’s suggestion to refer the corresponding PMBOK chapter after the completion of the Live Lessons is a bull’s eye advice.

Making my own short/crisp notes of Satya’s lecture in the videos helped me in gazing through the topics and important things to remember, just before the exam - this ended up becoming the oasis in the desert, on my exam day!

When I was done with the chapters, the full-length questions and answers provided by Satya showed me the mirror, so I could quickly reflect on the gaps and work on closing them. This also helped me be physically and mentally prepared to sit for the entire length of the exam without any distractions. The “Yogic Tip” is a life saver especially when the questions play with your mind – a comma, a misplaced word, sentence construction and any such distractors are taken care in the Live Lesson Tips.


— Hemanth Thimmappa, PMP, Central PMO Analyst, Shell India.

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of Hemanth ThimmappaThe Coveted Credential - "PMP"


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I decided to buy PMP Live session to prepare in quick time. The Yogic tips are useful to remember things. The Yogic revision will not allow forget old things while you proceed in the course to learn new ones. 

There are many questions to practice in the entire course material. The entire course is in video format. Moreover, the special videos in some knowledge areas like Earned Value Management (EVM), Change Requests (CR), Critical Path Measurement (CPM), Risk management, Stakeholder management, Communication management etc will help to visualize the concepts. From these areas, I faced a lot of questions in my PMP exam.

Today at the end of my successful PMP journey, I can say purchasing this course material is the best decision I took in my PMP journey. It is worth investing money in this course.I decided to buy PMP Live session to prepare in quick time. The Yogic tips are useful to remember things. The Yogic revision will not allow forget old things while you proceed in the course to learn new ones. 

There are many questions to practice in the entire course material. The entire course is in video format. Moreover, the special videos in some knowledge areas like Earned Value Management (EVM), Change Requests (CR), Critical Path Measurement (CPM), Risk management, Stakeholder management, Communication management etc will help to visualize the concepts. From these areas, I faced a lot of questions in my PMP exam.

Today at the end of my successful PMP journey, I can say purchasing this course material is the best decision I took in my PMP journey. It is worth investing money in this course.

— Prithwish Banerjee, PMP, 12 years of experience working as Team Lead in Visa Inc., Bangalore.

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of Prithwish BanerjeeChase Your Dreams and You Will Surely Succeed

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I knew that preparation time is very less.  Moreover, I needed to study PMBOK guide in detail. I am not a fast reader. Therefore, I decided to go for PMP Live Lessons as it helped me in reading the PMBOK guide faster. I understood the concepts well when I was reading PMBOK guide. 

Following are the key points in this course.
  • It is difficult to understand the mathematical concepts from PMBOK. All the mathematical concepts are explained in an easy manner.
  • The initial chapters (Introduction and Organization Influences and Project Life Cycle) of the PMBOK guide is not easy to understand. The PMP Live Lessons did include the 2016 changes, which was explained in an easy manner.
  • The tips were very useful in remembering the overall flow and inputs and outputs of the different processes.
  • Chapter end questions were not easy. It required you to read PMBOK guide thoroughly. Simply a high-level browsing through the PMP live lessons will not be enough. I did make some useful notes out of those questions, which came handy during my revisions before the exam. Satya has spoken about making notes while going through the Live Lessons.
  • I could solve only 3-1/2 full-length mock exams due to time constraints. After reading PMBOK guide, and going through PMP Live Lessons, it was lot more easy for me to solve the mock tests. I got more than 80% marks in all the mock tests. The only problem for me was the timing. I took more time in solving mock tests due to disturbances, and due to my throat infection. However, I was very sure that I can complete the exams on time as I had a good preparation.
  • The flow diagrams were very useful in understanding the clear picture of the interaction among different Knowledge areas or processes including inputs and outputs.
  • Satya put many revision reminders of the past topics that helped me in remembering the key concepts.
  • Please make your own personal short notes, which will help you for the last-minute revision. I could finish my revision of the entire course material within 3 hours.

Rajeev Ranjan, PMP, Senior Project Manager, HCL Technologies.

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of Rajeev RanjanBe Committed To Your Ultimate GOAL


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The four main reasons I bought PMP LIVE LESSONS were:
  1. I had complete confidence in Satya’s knowledge, ability and dedication towards aspirants getting PMP after the 4 days of classroom session.
  2. With limited time in hand (As the PMBOK Guide 5th Edition was expiring on 26th March 2018), I had to prepare faster for the exam.
  3. I approached Satya to know more about the PMP LIVE LESSONS and I received a set of sample videos. These videos were just like his classroom sessions I attended. 
  4. The icing on the deal was this - It is a Money Back Guarantee! I had nothing to lose.  

There are many interesting aspects in the PMP LIVE LESSONS which will make it an amazing learning experience. 

Of all, the best ones I liked were:
  1. The Yogic Vision Tips given at frequent intervals and the Yogic Revision Tips, which always helped recall things done earlier and help establish the connection among concepts.
  2. In every Knowledge Area there is a video called “What Happens?”. This explained the sequence of events and the difference between the key benefits and purpose of the processes within a Knowledge Area.
  3. Risk Management was explained in the easiest possible way with all the process in the Risk Management Knowledge Area put into a single video over 2 slides covered the entire flow of processes in the Risk Management Area. This was an example of a complex concept told like a story.
  4. EVM was explained with its real-time use with the help of graphs which helped understand the formulas than just memorizing the formulas.
  5. Exercises in the form of Flowcharts at the end of the Knowledge Areas or chapters would help connect the chapter / Knowledge Areas with others as it was always iterative and interconnected. 
After completing the PMP LIVE LESSONS, I had a better understanding of each knowledge area from the exam point of view. It helped identifying the aspects in which one needs to be prepared and the pattern of the questions. 

The full-length question sets on the other hand helped manage the timing for each question and helped maintain the concentration levels for 4 hours at a stretch. It was effectively useful to measure the time I was spending per question compared to the amount of time I should be spending per question. It was always more interesting to go back and self-evaluate after completing the sample tests and to learn from the mistakes made through the course of the test.

— Rizwan Khan, PMP, Technical Analyst Intermediate, JDA Software, Mexico.

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of Rizwan KhanThe Journey Itself An Experience To Cherish and Is The Reward


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I remember I was struggling in the first week of December about the overall planning and the approach on when to appear for the exam. I was in complete dilemma, considering a new edition of PMBOK guide was supposed to come under existence and the exam pattern was going to change up to a great extent from 26th of March 2018. On 4th of Dec I got the mailer from Satya that he has come up with PMP Live Lessons, a complete video course-


PMP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass or Your Money Back

I immediately called Satya to understand the background and the logic behind this. I requested for some trial videos, which he agreed to share with me. After going through the sample videos, I understood that this is what I needed in the short span of time to be able to qualify the exam. Without wasting any further time, I decided to go ahead with the videos and by 7th Dec I had the access to all the required content.
  • Total Duration: 25hours (25h 10m 15s) 
  • Number of Videos: 550
  • Number of Lessons: 14 (+3)
  • Number of Questions: 2600+
  • Number of Full Length Question Sets: 5 (total = 1000 Questions) 
  • Practice Questions – 100 to 120 questions (average)
  • 390 Smart Cards referring the PMBOK Guide

I got a new enthusiasm and started afresh. Coming to my approach on the studies. I must be clear here that I have not referred any single book apart from Satya’s Live Lessons. Most of you might have referred to some of the videos that Satya shared on some of the critical topics like Change Request, EVM, CCM, CPM etc. Based on that standard, if one gets an access to the complete coverage of all the involved modules as videos, that means a lot. I was having the luxury of listening to the same video multiple times till the concept is completely clear. It was something like during the classroom session we tried to grasp as much as possible but that has its own limitation. 

Questions at the end of each session in the Live Lessons are of good standard and which will test your understanding of the subject. Also, there are some 30-smart card set of questions for every module. There are lots of advantages of having the content online. Satya will be updating all the subscribers of any recent changes happening from the exam perspective, e.g. for EVM there is a new trend which is introduced from the PMI. Recently there are mathematical questions coming in the graph format on CPI, SPI. Got the feed few weeks back before the exam and I was happy to see around 3 questions came on EVM with graph. Similarly, EEF and OPA related new videos were shared based on the feedback received recently.

— Kamal Ahmed Farooqui, PMP, Project Manager, Wipro Ltd.

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of Kamal Ahmed FarooquiHard work and Focus Lead You to Success


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I went for the PMP Live Lessons for the following reasons.
  • During the sessions, Satya Sir shared some of the videos which he made as part of the PMP Live Lessons. These videos were very well made, bringing out the key aspects of the topics covered in a simple and effective way to understand.
  • I had just 45 days to prepare for and take the exam and the videos would help me focus my learning effort within this short duration.
  • And it comes with a “Money Back Guarantee”.

Key aspects of live lessons which helped me are,

  • The PMP Live Lessons came with chapter end Smart Cards and Q&A which were exhaustive and would help me get the required exam practice. 
  • The Answers came with explanation which helped me understand the situational nature of the questions and the logic behind the correct answer.
  • This also helped me to understand my strengths and weaknesses and revise the topics that I needed improvement on. 
  • It was easy to go back and review specific processes when required as the lessons were arranged in the same order as the PMBOK guide.
  • In addition, we had the key and important ITTOs marked with additional yogic vision and revision tips which made sure we did not miss the key concepts.

— John P S Oliver, PMP, Associate Director - Project Management, 20+ years of experience

PMP Live Lessons Success Story of John P S OliverPMP Live Lessons Was Instrumental in Getting My PMP Credential

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Contact Hours Reviews: PMP 35 CONTACT HOURS REVIEW 

In this Online Course, All the chapters in this video package were synchronized to the layout within the PMBOK guide. Because of this, the PMBOK guide could also be read simultaneously without any difficulty. 

The most helpful part of the video package was the ITTOs, which Satya has explicitly mentioned for each process and the flow charts. These made a lot of sense in understanding the integration of the processes. The best part of this video package was that it was like a classroom session and I could replay any video as many times as I could, until I understood the contents. 

Remembering key ITTOs were made easy as they were highlighted wherever the process integrates and there were tips given to revise once you reach a certain level in learning. To top it all, the practice questions after each topic helped in gauging my understanding of each chapter.

- Varun Amirthakumar, PMP, Currently working in the Pratt & Whitney Canada Center of Excellence for Cyient India Limited.


PMP Success Story of Varun Amirthakumar: Credential With Real-World Applicability of New Project Management Concepts


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The 35 hours of video learning course is one of the best educational videos that I’ve gone through in recent times. Not even a single video deviates from the topic. It delivers exactly what is needed, and only the ones needed. This makes learning very effective.

The videos are divided across various knowledge areas and chapters, which aligns closely with the PMBOK Guide. I just followed it.

The course is divided into various topics in a systematic way and is paced gently with its extraordinary content. For example, every topic (taking an example of Knowledge Area) starts with yogic tip and explanation of that, followed by a real time scenario. Next, I’ll be knowing the current trends, key points, Agile perspective, and then will proceed to the actual topic. This is not the case with any class-room training.

The beauty of this course is, the trainer will drive slowly to the core topics through a series of steps. And these steps will be common throughout the knowledge areas.

The content is so well explained that you will never get distracted from the topic. For example, while explaining Change Management and Change Requests, Satya sir will drive you through sequence of steps that you as a Project Manager (PM) should look at that change. 

The biggest advantage for me with PMP 35 Online Contact Hours was this: I can play the videos any number of times I want. This way the course is unique and distinct. 

This is not only for the topic of change management; it’s explained similarly for many key areas. As you proceed, you will realize the importance of the topic with great interest.

At the end of every lesson/chapter, there are about 35 to 40 questions with answers. They will really test your understanding and more importantly, they will help you how to read the question, how to identify the key-points in the question. 

The practice questions at the end every section are really useful. They will help you to understand the topic from various perspectives.

- V Satya Viswanadha Raju, PMP, Information Technology Professional with DXC Technology

PMP Success Story of V Satya Viswanadha RajuExtraordinary Content of 35 Hours Online Course and a Sincere Approach Helped to Crack the Exam



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Book Reviews: PMP Exam Prep Book - "I WANT TO BE A PMP"


If you are serious with your certification and need a book which can help you understand every process and knowledge area for the PMP exam in simple and crystal clear way, then search no more. You should buy Satya’s “I WANT TO BE A PMP”eBook. 

I was the first person to receive Satya’s eBook. 


When I read through the first chapter, I knew this was the book I was searching for. Satya has well thought and compiled only what is required for the exam. I had read PMBOK and Rita’s PMP exam prep before going through Satya’s “I WANT TO BE A PMP”. One book is not sufficient and you may need to refer at least 2 or more books to prepare for the exam.


Unique features which I found in this book, but not available in other books are:
  • This eBook contains lots of tips and tricks which are very helpful for exam preparation.
  • Complex formulas are explained in simple way. Practise it once or twice and you will never need to remember the formulas by rote learning.
  • You need not remember all ITTOs. Satya has marked important ITTOs in each process. Understand the marked once and that should be sufficient to answer all ITTO related questions.
  • Book contains 3 sets of mock test; each set covers 200 Questions and Answers (Q&A). If you score 75% in Set 3 then you are ready for the exam. Also, at the end of each chapter you have multiple questions. Overall book contains more than 750 Q&A.
This eBook helps develop thinking the way PMI does.This eBook was my main study material and I believe I passed my exam because of this eBook. I had read this eBook 3 times.

Along with PMBOK, this eBook is a must read for all PMP aspirants.


- Vipin Kodiyath Radhakrishnan, PMP, Senior Project Manager, 3i Infotech Ltd


PMP Success Story of Vipin KRK: I Wanted To be A PMP And I Did It – My PMP Journey


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I Want To Be A PMP is an excellent reference book and covers everything you need to know to pass your PMP exam. 

The topics are presented in an easy-to-understand format with simple descriptions, key ITTOs, test-taking tips and more flow diagrams. 

This is the book gave me a lot of confidence and the mock exams given in this book are very close to the actual PMP exam. Well done.

— Sathish Babu G, PMP, Project Manager, Kodiak Networks

PMP Success Story of Sathish Babu G: Mock Exams Give You Confidence And Make The Actual Exam Easier


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The book - "I Want To Be A PMP" is a well thought-out book which should be surely read for your PMP® certification preparation. Professionals preparing for PMP would have often come across the experiences of various people who are certified PMP and would have known that the PMBOK® Guide is a must read book for the PMP certification. But, the PMBOK Guide has a lot of details and not easy when you start off with your preparation.

If you are seriously preparing for the PMP certification, I would suggest the new book “I WANT TO BE A PMP”, written by Satya Narayan Dash. 

Why This Book? 
  • This is a simplified version of the the concepts written in the PMBOK Guide. 
  • Topics and chapters are easy to understand and remember.
  • The chart for 10 Knowledge areas,5 process groups and 47 processes have been sequentially numbered, which becomes very easy to memorize. Once the logic for the numbering is understood, I'm sure professionals who read this book will never forget the above chart. 
  • Mathematical formulas are made extremely simple, so that one understands the concepts. 
  • A lot of videos with examples are mentioned. You take a topic,go through the videos and all the concepts are clear. This easy remembering of formulas can surely assist in getting numerical questions right in the exam.
  • Simple but powerful book where you are given the chart of formulas in the end and they can be downloaded. 
  • Easy, simple tips to memorize various concepts on project management. 
  • Important points are highlighted from the exam point of view. 
  • 3 set of full length question papers. These questions are very close to real exam. Answers for the questions are detailed.
  • 75 questions PMP 2016 Exam changes have also been included. This is in reference with the new Exam Content Outline (ECO).
  • Details about Critical Path and Critical Chain Methods are really very informative. 
I have used Satya sir's book and PMBOK together to understand the concepts. I felt these two books were more than sufficient to be thorough for the PMP certification. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Satya sir for putting in so much effort to make this book simple and easy to remember.

— 
Ajanta Behera, PMP, Associate Project Manager, Standard Chartered Bank


Book Review by Ajanta Behera: Must Buy Book If Seriously Preparing For PMP Certification  

PMP Success Story of Ajanta Behera: A Long-Awaited Dream Came True


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I had referred I Want To Be A PMP by Satya Narayan Dash during my preparation. I studied for 5 to 6 hours on week days (Monday to Friday) and 8 to 9 hours over the weekend. I tried all the questions in the book - I Want to Be A PMP. The questions given in the book “I Want To Be A PMP” were very close to what I saw in the real exam. 
— Asad Abbas, PMP, Scrum Master, Merck Life Sciences



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Satya Sir’s eBook – I Want To Be A PMP
After completing the guide, I realized I had gaps and questions on Inputs, Tools & Techniques and Outputs (ITTOs).  This is when I picked my Satya Sir book - “I Want To Be A PMP.” I went through chapter by chapter in the book and many ITTOs started getting clear. The book explains why the ITTOs is used in the process, which ones are required for the process, etc. I was able to connect the dots. The book also has a separate chapter on changes in PMP exam after 11th January 2016.

Next, I started giving all possible free PMP mock questions, some sites have 200 questions with or without timer, others had less questions again with or without timers. Some sites had answers without any explanation why the author feels that is the correct answer, I avoided such mock questions.

Satya Sir's book had 200 questions of 3 sets – total 600 questions (and additional 75 questions for PMP exam 2016 changes). Most of the questions were situational and lengthy questions (expect similar pattern in the real exam). 

—  Rangu Dutta, PMP



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Satya’s eBook - I Want To Be A PMP
I had requested Satya for access to his book “I Want To Be A PMP”, I started going through the book and I must admit that Satya has written the book in a very easy and understandable language, the book is very precise and covers everything with examples, lot of tips to remember the content. There are lot of videos shared by Satya which explains some of the difficult topics in detail. Moreover, Satya puts constant efforts in explaining the topics and keeps on sending the updates to the books.

Honestly speaking this is the only book I had referred along with the PMBOK® guide. But before even opening PMBOK guide, I have had a thorough walkthrough of Satya’s book and I felt that almost every topic is covered by Satya in his book.

—  Alok Jain, PMP, Assistant Consultant in Tata Consultancy Services

PMP Success Story of Alok Jain: Hard Work and A Lot of Sacrifices Finally Paid Off

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I cleared PMP exam on 3rd April, 2017. When I started preparing for the PMP Examination, I struggled at first to find study resources that fit my style of learning. 

I was very happy when I discovered Satya's e-Book 'I Want To Be A PMP'. It not only presented the material in a manner that I appreciated (i.e. concisely and with a logical flow) but he also provides the reader with a proven strategy to prepare for and pass the exam as well as numerous learning tips in each chapter.

Unique Features of the Book:
  • Practice questions at end of each chapter will reinforce the concepts and improve your understanding.
  • Videos on Earned Value Management (EVM), Critical Path Measurement (CPM), Conflict Management and Risk Response Strategies are added bonus and very well explained. 
  • Formula Gold card to learn the important formulas. 
  • Explanation of mathematical problems with clear examples.
  • Flow charts for Change Request, Deliverables, Change Log and Issue Log. 
  • Flow charts for work performance data, work performance information and work performance report. 
  • Emphasis on key inputs and outputs for each process. 
  • 600 questions in 3 mock tests which were very close to real exam and will help in determining weak and improvement areas.
  • Satya reinforces the concepts he wants to impart to the reader through use of repetition and carefully crafted process flow questions at the end of chapters.
— Abhinav Tiwari, Senior Consultant, Workday & PeopleSoft Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers


Book Review by Abhinav TiwariI Want To Be A PMP: Concise Book with A Logical Flow

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Why this Book?
I wanted to buy “I want to be a PMP” because I was convinced that it would help me a great deal in my preparations. Satya sir’s credibility and the way he explained the concepts made me want to purchase the book.

PMP Book – I Want To be A PMP
The book is very succinct and just what you need when you have overwhelming information everywhere. The yogic tips and tricks that are present in every chapter help you to remember and recollect all the important points. 

Another great aspect of this book is that the important topics all have videos explained by Satya sir himself. The experience is great when you have content, tips, videos and blogs all rolled into one place. 
  • The topics that helped me the most are the way the Critical Path and EVM concepts are explained. The demarcation of the important ITTO’s really helped focus and remember what is necessary. What also helped me were the clear flow diagrams for change request, deliverables, resource calendars and issue logs.
  • The chapter end questions, full length questions, new question on PMP exam 2016 changes and Exam Content Outline (ECO) were very useful to give a correct guage of my preparation. They are situational, tricky, content rich and very much inline to the actual exam.
  • The other areas such as snapshots of MS Project, Oracle Primavera etc. and examples used really helped in experiencing project management as I read through the book.
  • Also, the formula set was something that I could refer to all the time.

Chapters in the Book – I Want To be A PMP
The book is divided into  logical chapters. 
  • The introduction has all the necessary elements of an emphasized topic Benefits realization. 
  • The chapter on the processes is excellent where the 47 processes are defined and sequenced for a thorough understanding. This sets the tone for the rest of the chapters.
The following chapters are divided as per the knowledge areas. 
  • Integration management has the detailed video explanation on change requests and that is something very strongly emphasised on the real exam.
  • The organizational theories that are found in the HR management chapter is something that is again very useful. They are not present in detail in the PMBOK guide and this is where the guidance from this book steps in. 
  • Risk management and Quality management concepts are also very clearly covered and this is enough to arm you for the exam. 
  • Trust me, this was the only book that helped me remember all the points necessary. Reading it is a breeze and I used only this book in the final few days of my prep along with PMBOK.
Overall, this book is a must have along with PMBOK guide and I really think these two books are more than sufficient for the exam. I want to be a PMP is very much inline with PMBOK and the latest changes. It has all the elements covered. A lot of effort has gone into this book which clearly reflects in my results and I bet a lot of my friends who have used this book agree to. 

— Sahana Mukund, PMP, Over 10 Years and Moving to New York for MBA in August 2017

Book Review by Sahana MukundI Want To Be A PMP: A Must Have Interactive Book

PMP Success Story of Sahana Mukund: PMP Success Story: Dream Big, Work Hard, Trust the Process, Achieve and Share Lessons Learned


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Why this Book?
  • The book is well-paced and has a certain rhythm to each chapter.
  • With the skillful thoughts put in by Satya to come up with this book, it’s very much exam oriented and the writing style is very neat and clear with topics very well elaborated for easy understanding.
  • I certainly want to buy this book as this will surely help me in my PMP® preparation in more focused and right way.
  • One can use this book as a stand-alone preparation book along with PMBOK® guide 5th edition.

Overall Book Review – I Want To Be A PMP
  • The introduction chapter provides an overview of the key information for understanding the material covered in subsequent chapters their general order of importance.
  • From exam point of view all the yogic tips and tricks that are given in each chapter are extremely important for someone to take a note of it while reading through the chapters and will give some extra insight on what someone need to know about Project Management.
  • Many concepts are explained by videos for easy understanding through visualization.
  • Also, many references are given to Satya's blog where the topics are well explained in elaborated way with examples which is an added benefit of this book.
  • The practice exam at the end of each chapters allows to review the material and test your understanding with respect to actual PMP exam.
  • The key abbreviations with respect to PMBOK and PMP are well explained.
  • The book also provides an insight to the real-world project management tools like Microsoft Project, Oracle Primavera which will really help in enriching the experience and usage of the tool in practical world of Project Management since these are the tools used in most of the enterprise companies round the world.
  • The book has a special attraction for the Formula based questions that appears in the exam and helps as a ready reference.

Review Of Chapters in the Book – I Want to be A PMP
  • The Book has multiple chapters (from Chapter 1 to Chapter 17) in order of precedence.
  • There are some themes that appear throughout this book and some terms that are repeated in most knowledge areas. E.g. OPA, EEF, Management Plans for each Knowledge Area, PM Plan, Baselines (Scope, Schedule, Cost), Work Performance Data, Work Performance Information and Report, Change Requests etc. These are some of the most important topics to understand which will help to see how each concept relates to overall project management process and someone may frequently see these concepts on the exam. 
  • In order to really retain the information learned from this book someone needs to review it couple of times.
  • In particular, it’s important to review the PMI-isms in each chapter and the Process chart in Chapter-4, Page -6, 7 (Section 3.4: Interaction among the Processes).
  • Having a solid understanding of the project management process and the material presented in this book will not only help someone pass the exam, it will also enable the knowledge to apply in real world projects.  
  • To conclude with a one liner 'Please go through the book start to end, prepare your own notes, revisit the book again and again. Practice, practice and clear the exam'.
Welcoming the aspirants to PMP club.

— Manas Das, PMP, Project Manager, Infosys Technologies

Book Review by Manas DasI Want To Be A PMP: Read Through End-To-End, Practice, Revise, Make Your Own Notes and Clear The Exam

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Satya’s eBook - I Want To Be A PMP
Satya's question bank of 675 questions (from the book “I Want To Be A PMP”) was tougher than the actual PMP exam. This made me more alert and vigilant. It also made me revise in the right direction.

—  Manjunath R, PMP, Deputy General Manager, PDD Infratech

PMP Success Story of Manjunath R: PMP Success Story: Truly A Dream Come True


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

I started my practice questions with Satya’s 3 sets of 200 questions and 4th set of 75 questions, from the book – I Want To Be A PMP. (Very close to the exam type)

Satya’s question papers are a real chance to mock the PMP exam! The closest you can get to the real one. I did four consecutive 200 set questions in 4 days just before exam at the same time. This gave me an understanding of how I should orient myself in allocating my brain bandwidth consistently for the entire 4 hours.

—  Chaitanya Rao Araveti, PMP, Project Application Lead, Shell Oil and Gas

PMP Success Story of Chaitanya Rao Araveti: PMP Success Story: What Does It Take To Be A PMP


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

I took approximately 6 months (March to Aug 2017) to prepare and get certified as PMP. Initial 3 months were e-learning with an average dedication of 10 hours per week. 
Next 3 months were used to read reference guide and books. I used I Want To Be A PMP by Satya Narayan Dash.

—  Krishnadas CK, PMP, Working as PMO, Fujitsu Consulting India

PMP Success Story of Krishnadas CK: PMP Success Story: Journey Was Worth The Time an Effort

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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

My sole intention of purchasing this book was to the cover the newly added 2016 changes. However, I found many useful contents like explanations on mathematical questions, many videos etc. in the book. And the best part were the 3 full length practice exams that is provided as part of this book. 

By taking these 3 full length practice exams, you are equipped for the worst case and can be rest assured of clearing the exam in the first attempt

—  Sandeep Meloth, PMP, Product Engineering Specialist

PMP Success Story of Sandeep Meloth: PMP Success Story: Systematic Study and Practice - Keys to PMP Success


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

I decided to buy Satya’s book after attending his sessions. After going through some other such books, I must say this is one of the best books out there. This is the perfect bridge between the classroom coaching and the very detailed PMBOK guide. As one goes through the book, it calls out reference to previous chapters/processes, so one is always connected throughout the chapters/processes.

The flow diagrams are the best. It helps one connect how processes flow within and across knowledge areas. The tips shared at every other place bring out the subtle factors that help you remember the concepts.

The full-length tests have a special role to play in my PMP success story. In the exam, I had only got situational and lengthy questions. They are different from many practise test that I had taken from other sources. This book had such set of questions, which are very similar to the type of questions I had faced in the exam. 

—  Satyajit Jena, PMP, Program Manager, Sapient Corporation

PMP Success Story of Satyajit Jena: PMP Success Story: Preparing For The PMP Exam Makes A PM Much Better, Getting The Certification is Icing on The Cake


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

50% of the credit goes to the training, the rest goes to “I Want To Be A PMP” book. When the book was mentioned in one of the classes, I took the discussion lightly thinking that it is a marketing technique for an author to push for his books for more sales. However, I did purchase the book after thinking about it for few days. 

THIS WAS THE BEST DECISION I TOOK THAT SHAPED MY CERTIFICATION JOURNEY. 

This is the ONLY book I read, this is the ONLY book I referred to for my Mock tests. I found that this book is very interactive. The flow of information, highlight areas and Yogic Tips are so well designed for easy understanding of each concept for any PMP aspirant. For me it is a PMP Bible, as you get a lifetime access to this book and it is being updated on regular basis as and when there is a change from PMI towards PMP exams and course materials. 

One of the greatest aspects of this book is that the important topics all have videos explained by Satya sir himself. You have the content, tips, videos and blogs all and everything needed to equip yourself available at one place. 

The book is divided into logical order of knowledge areas with chapter end questions, full-length questions, and Exam Content Outline (ECO).

IF YOU ASK ME, THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR ANY PMP ASPIRANT.

—  Shikhar Vaid, PMP, Strategy & Operations Professional in multiple verticals

PMP Success Story of Shikhar Vaid: PMP Success Story: Understand The Concepts, Have Courage to Reach the Exam Centre an Do it With Confidence


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

I bought the “I Want To Be A PMP” book as I got to know from the class room training. The way it’s written is very easy to understand all the concepts, has many tips that really help and is a very interactive book which makes you feel as if Satya is talking to you directly – while you are reading it. Also, this book is an online version which is kept always up-to-date so it will reflect the latest content.

It also has many videos to explain the important topics of the exam and are explained in the easiest possible way. Anyone can understand them very easily. This book comes with 3 question sets with increasing difficulty level which really raises the bar before you actually appear for the exam. This book and question sets holistically equips you to be ready the PMP exam. You feel much more confident to write the exam after 2-3 readings of this book. 

—  Naveen Kumar, PMP, Program Manager, around 16 years of experience in hardware and firmware project management

PMP Success Story of Naveen Kumar: PMP Success Story: A Good Coach, Dedication and Determination Are Keys to Success



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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
I bought the e-book: “I Want To Be A PMP” as I got to know from the class room training. While enquiring – if Satya had any particular material which is exactly in line with his style of explanation, I came to know about the book. The way it’s written is very easy to understand and all needed concepts are explained in a precise manner. 

It also has many tips and tricks that really helps. It is a very interactive e-book which makes you feel as if you are interacting with Satya. As the book is an online version, it’s always kept up-to-date and latest. Hence, it will reflect the best and latest available content.

The book has many videos to explain the important topics of the exam and are explained in the easiest possible way! This book comes with 3 question sets with increasing level of difficulty. These help you to prepare well for the exam. The final set being the icing on the top, which was very much closer to the real exam in look and feel. 

This book and question sets holistically equips you to be ready the PMP exam. This book improves your confidence to write the PMP exam.

—  Priyadarshi Samal, Project Manager, IBM India Pvt Ltd

PMP Success Story of Priyadarshi SamalGrit and Determination, A Supporting Family and A Wonderful Coach Led To Success

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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
The teaching methodology and the simplified way of depicting the various processes drove me towards buying this book

To be honest I had not gone through any book before attending the classroom training. Since the way of teaching and tips and tricks shared during the classroom training were impressive, I decided to buy this book during the last day of the training itself.

In the book, definitely the questions were very helpful, along with the key tips and tricks, flow of various processes, consolidated flow of all 5 process groups, etc.  The content for the exam is vast and the book covers all topics. 

—  Kiran Patil, Program Manager – Product Integration, Edgeverve Systems Ltd, an Infosys company


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
The reason I bought this bookbecause it is really difficult to demystify the PMBOK guide. It looked very heavy to me. Another person in the class had this book and informed it is very easy to understand.  As I went through this book, in fact, it was in simple English and easy to understand and had all the latest changes of PMBOK.

The videos on Earned Value Management (EVM), a number of flow charts, which are really unique and help you to understand the topic in the first time itself. 
It will give you many Yogic Tips, which will help you a lot during exam. 

—  Karthik Hongalkar, PMP, working as a technical lead at Eurofins IT solutions for past 6 years.

PMP Success Story of Karthik HongalkrEat, Sleep, and Drink PMP


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
I have met my dear friend Mr. Asad Abbas after clearing his PMP. After seeing his happiness in achieving the PMP Certification, I came to know he was trained by a Professional PMP Coach. I have asked the details and decided to buy the Book “I WANT TO BE A PMP” by Satya Narayan Dash.

The process groups, overlapping processes within the process groups and the iterative nature of project management – you will clearly know while going through the book. The activities/processes are very defined within the 10 Knowledge Areas, along with many Flow Charts. The main/key topics are stressed and highlighted as YOGIC TIPS and YOGIC REVISION TIPS. Kudos to him for giving back the society this valuable book.

Mr. Satyanarayan Dash’s PMP training techniques are excellent both from exam point of view as well as for application in real time projects. The wordy questions at the end of chapters are very near to the real PMI-PMP Exam.

In Project Time Management, Critical Path Method (CPM) videos, Forward/Backward videos are presented in detail. In a way, it becomes self-explanatory learning. In PMP Exam, these helped to solve the problems in less than 1 minute.

In Procurement Management, Point Of Total Assumption (PTA) Videos cover the content with detailed explanation. It is very much useful in real time projects.

—  K Suresh, PMP, Manager – Mechanical (Super-Critical Power Projects), GMR Energy Ltd.


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
The process groups, overlapping processes within the process groups and the iterative and integrative nature of project and project management – you will clearly know while going through the book.

The 5 process groups, 10 knowledge areas and 47 processes are clearly explained and in simplified English, which makes it easy to understand. The iterative nature of project management plan development, i.e., progressive elaboration and flow of processes among the knowledge areas and process groups you will understand as you proceed. There are also a number of Flow Charts. 

There are many Yogic Tips and Yogic Revision Tips, which keeps you focused as they are highlighted. The videos attached in the book are very useful and helps you quickly understand the concepts.

—  Manu Devadas, PMP. Working as Project Manager at Imtac India Pvt Ltd. I have 14 years of experience in the IT industry.

PMP Success Story of Manu DevadasKeep Things Simple



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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
The experience from Satya’s coaching and his blog made me to buy I WANT TO BE A PMP.  The book has videos providing a detailed explanation on Earned Value Analysis, Critical Path Method, Critical Chain Method, Point of Total Assumption, Risk Response Strategies, Conflict Management, Soft Skills, among others. Key concepts are explained in a lucid manner with flow charts of the processes across Knowledge Areas.

The flow chart exercises will make you really understand the flow of processes.

The chapter end questions and the mock exams, especially the 3rd Mock exams, and the 75 questions based on Exam Content Outline (ECO) will not only equip you for the challenges of the exam but also of the actual challenges in real life project scenarios and good understanding of the subject.

—  Nidhin Sasi, PMP. Team Lead with close to 13 years of IT experience in Accenture Services Pvt Ltd and a 6 months experience prior to that in a small vendor company for Telecommunications field..

PMP Success Story of Nidhin SasiA Hard-Earned Achievement


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
The approach and explanation in I Want to Be A PMP book gave me the confidence and preparation required to pass for this exam. 

The video contents, exercise, flow diagrams along with the explanation was based on real world examples. It broke down complex concepts into plain language with lucid explanations which really simplified the matters and emphasized an understanding of foundational concepts. Take additional notes on your part with respect to video contents, exercise, flow diagrams etc.

This book will give you the tools to pass the exam and mock test will test your knowledge in the best possible way. I was very happy to find challenging questions and accurate information, as well as, a very similar style to which the actual exam is given. Features such as timed exams and showing exactly which areas that you need to focus your studies on were key for me. 

I surely recommend I Want to Be A PMP book to aspiring PMPs.

— Ritu Parna Sahoo, PMP. Project Manager, Microsoft Corp.

PMP Success Story of Ritu Parna SahooLucky To Have I Want To Be A PMP Book


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
Book Media: PDF in Google Platform. It includes video content for vague and important concepts.

Readability: Very Good! Simple English words, Lots of flow diagrams and Video contents.

I purchased “I Want To Be A PMP” book on day 1 of my classroom training. As I knew, it is very critical to revise the concepts post classroom sessions and get ready for the next day class. Again, it’s very tough to follow any trainer if you don’t revise and practise. Satya has structured the book very well and the book follows similar approach to classroom sessions and this enabled me to revise immediately and start preparing for the certification from day 1.

The book shares lots of tips for better understanding with simple daily life examples. Video contents are really helpful in understanding mathematical and difficult workflows.

First 2 weeks, I read “I Want To Be A PMP” book authored by Satya at least 3 times and learned all processes and work flows in real projects from initiating to closing. 
Week 3 and 4: From third week, I starting reading PMBOK guide for deeper understanding on various Input, Toot & Techniques and Outputs (ITTOs) and why a specific input / output is fed to a process and more details on tools and techniques. 

The PMBOK guide is too detailed to start with, but otherwise explains the concepts well and clears-off all ambiguities with examples. My good fundamentals due to Satya’s 4-day classroom training and “I Want To Be a PMP” book made PMBOK read easy and informative. One pager overview of each KAs (Knowledge Areas) in PMBOK is really helpful to understand how each process within KAs interact. Also, the PMBOK guide’s definitions section under glossary is really helpful in revising my understandings.

— Vignesh Lodiya Radhakrishnan, PMP. Service Delivery Manager, Credit Suisse.
IT professional in financial services industry with more than 15 years of experience in various roles across development in project management.

PMP Success Story of Vignesh Lodiya RadhakrishnanDefinitely Attainable If You Are Determined And Dedicated


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
Beginning with my studies, I started with the PMBOK guide and completed it in one month. In parallel, I referred Satya’s latest book – I Want To Be A PMP, 2nd Edition.


After going through the classroom session, I decided to buy the book. This will be your second PMBOK guide for the PMP exam. The ITTOs are charted in table format and easy to remember. The tips and tricks are really helpful to fill your knowledge gaps.

The exercises given, flow diagrams, the EVM & graph videos, 35 plus chapter end questions and numerous tips and tricks in each KA are enough to fill your gaps.

— Amodh Sinha, PMP, CSM. Resource Manager with 11 + years of experience in IT operations and project management. Organization:  Quinnox Inc.

PMP Success Story of Amodh SinhaPMP Success Story: A Cherished Experience


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
I used to practice questions from Satya’s "I Want To Be A PMP" book at the end of each chapter. I ensured that I do my preparation daily even it’s for a time as less than 15 minutes.

I did not prefer too many references or Google (to be frank) as it might confuse me and I knew my time constraint. However, when my application was selected for audit, I thought, I need to be more cautious as I proceed, luck dint seem to be favourable ;-). 

I was so relaxed by the content of “I Want To Be A PMP” –  because it’s exactly what I needed with sample application forms, practice questions, videos, highlighted tips. The practice questions did help me to embrace the bigger ones.

— Shreya A.S, PMP Senior Analyst, Lowe’s Services India Pvt. Ltd.
7+ years of experience in Change, Release, Operations Management.  

PMP Success Story of Shreya A SPMP Success Story: Smart Preparation Helps



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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
The base of my study was “I Want To Be A PMP”.

This book follows the PMBOK guide chapter organization and thus it was easier for me to read the guide.

The KEY ITTOs and Yogic Vision Tips were the most helpful sections. Also, the chapter end questions helped me to understand my initial gaps.

The videos are really important and helped me to visualize the concepts, especially Earned Value Management (EVM), Risk Response Strategies, Network diagram analysis.

— Koyel Mukherjee, PMP.
9+years working as Global Lead with Accenture. Experience includes Program Control Service Management/ Revenue Management/ Leadership and Client Reporting and Business Operations.  

PMP Success Story of Koyel MukherjeePMP Success Story: If There Is A Will, There Is A Way



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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
During the classroom training, I had started reading PMBOK guide and I knew an additional supporting book would be needed. 

I decided to buy Satya’s book as it communicates the concepts in an easy to understand format. It has flow diagrams, presentations, videos and mock question sets.

The explanation on float calculation was excellent with forward pass and backward pass techniques. I also liked the videos on conflict management, EVM and interpersonal skills.

The flow diagrams on change requests, deliverables and inter process communication are excellent. The mock tests are good and helps you to understand the knowledge gaps.

— Vikas Shankar, PMP. Currently working as a Technology Specialist in a large Cyber Industrial company. I have 11+ years of experience in IT industry.   

PMP Success Story of Vikas ShankarPMP Success Story: PMP Certified – A Dream Come True


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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
This book can be called as the simpler version of PMBOK guide almost covering each and every concept in a very simple way with a lot of “yogic vision tips”, “diagrams”, “formulas” and “concepts” which has been drafted in a very nice way.

The way Satya Sir has explained steps in each process is very important for some-one to get the concepts right. 

The high-quality videos that Satya Sir has provided for areas in “Change Management”, “Conflict Management”, “CPM and CCM” and lot more areas would be a boon for someone to learn those concepts on go.

I would highly recommend to get this book to sharpen your concepts and skills.

— Srikanth SubbaRao, PMP. Working as a Scrum Master at Adobe Systems Pvt Ltd, Bangalore.  

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Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP
Project management concepts in the book are very clear and explained in layman words. Key indicators and tips in each chapter helped me to grasp quickly. Videos on certain topics were handy and easy to grasp. 

'Formulas Gold Cards' is the ultimate winner. Mock questions at the end of e-book were totally helpful as there were all kinds of questions – situational questions, mathematical question, trapping questions etc. I took them as timed tests. 

Revision tips mentioned at different chapters were truly helpful as that determined the level of one’s understanding on the concepts. I completely followed the tips before, during and after exam. Especially jotting down the formulas at the beginning of the exam, was effective.

— Deepti Mallenahalli Prahalad, PMP, is working at Vymo Solutions Private Limited as a Program Manager and having 12+ years of experience in Software Testing, Project Management (Traditional and Agile), Service Delivery in Insurance domain. .  

PMP Success Story of Deepti Mallenahalli PrahaladPMP Success Story: Be Honest With Yourself And Things Will Fall In Place






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Book Reviews: RMP Exam Prep Book - "I WANT TO BE A RMP"

Satya’s eBook – "I Want To Be A RMP"

While I was one of the fortunate few who was given access to review Satya's "I want to be a RMP - The plain and simple way to be a RMP", I was not fortunate enough to do so prior to my exam. But nevertheless, I managed to pass and am in a better position to identify how helpful Satya's book is for anybody who is interested in studying or preparing to be certified.
  1. Although Satya mentions "This book is to be read as a companion with the PMBOK Guide, The Practice Standard for Project Risk Management and the RMP Examination Content Outline", I personally feel this book is all you need to pass the RMP Exam, provided you understand the PMP concepts and have applied Risk Management in your profession.
  2. Revision is the key to success in this exam, and Satya highlights the same frequently in all the chapters. Try recollecting what you have studied when you encounter this point, and if you cannot remember what you have read, go back and re-read it. This way it will stay imprinted in your memory.
  3. Reference documents specified are extremely useful if you are looking for ways to implement Risk Management in your organization and Satya has a very crisp list to assist you with. (Refer Chapter 2 in the book).
  4. Using Primavera Tool snapshots to help you understand practical examples is an excellent way to understand Risk management and how to approach applying it, which are covered extensively in this book.
  5. ITTO (Inputs, Tools & Techniques and Outputs) are extremely important from an exam standpoint and are explained very well with process flow diagrams depicting exchange of documents that help in better understanding the flow.
  6. Recurrence of the disastrous Cyclone in Odisha is taken as an amazing example to summarize the importance of Risk management alongside actual results derived from this implementation which helped save thousands of lives. Throughout the book, you will find examples of real-life scenarios that will help understand concepts in a practical manner.

Important concepts to prepare for the exam (with references to Satya's book)
  1. Organizational structure - From PMBOK this concept is only explained in the first 2 chapters with no emphasis thrown on it in the Risk Management Chapter. However, you will find several references to organizational structure matrices and composition of project teams through situational based questions in the exam. Expect at least 5-8 questions. (Refer Chapter 3)
  2. Environmental and Organizational Impacts on Risk management are important as they are part of almost all ITTO's. Expect up to 5 questions in the exam. (Refer to Chapter3)
  3. Known vs Unknown Risks - Understand the importance of Known vs Unknown risks and how you can identify them in a given scenario. You are continuously tested regarding this concept on the exam. (Refer to Chapter 4)
  4. Estimation Techniques are described in one place in Satya's chapter 4. If you need to gather this information from PMBOK you will need to read through several chapters.
  5. Contingent and Management Reserves - You will find around 5-8 questions regarding theoretical and calculative questions on the types of reserves in the exam. You will need to apply Beta Distribution, PERT estimate, and finally do a Monte Carlo simulation. (Refer to Chapter 4 & 8)
  6. Plans vs Documents - Understanding the difference between Project Management plans and project documents makes the process of learning easier because sometimes it can get confusing. (Satya's Chapter 5 covers this in simple terms)
  7. Risk Categorization - Expect at least 5 scenario-based questions on identifying the category of a given risk. (Refer to Chapter 5)
  8. Risk Identification techniques are frequently asked in direct and in-direct references throughout the exam. Pay close attention to "Information Gathering Techniques", "Group Creativity Techniques" and "Group Decision making Techniques". If you had to gather this information from PMBOK it is distributed in sections across Quality Management, Cost, Time and Scope Management. However, (Satya's Chapter 6) has a clean and crisp reference to all the techniques.
  9. Prompt lists - While you can definitely expect 2-3 questions with Prompt lists, they are often used as wrong choices in many questions as well. Know the expansion for each - PESTLE, TECOP, SPECTRUM. (Refer to Chapter 6)
  10. Risk Urgency and Manageability - You will face around 3-4 questions on this.  (Refer to Chapter 7)
  11. Probability & Impact (PI) Matrix - Understanding the PI matrix is very important as this helps quantify risk in the real world. Satya has managed to show a Primavera example alongside PMBOK's PI Matrix to depict the Scoring Model. Probability, Impact, Manageability and Proximity.  (Refer to Chapter 7)
  12. Butterfly Matrix is explained only in this book. I found a question on the same in the exam and had to take a guess.  (Refer to Chapter 7)
  13. Calculations on EMV (Expected Monetary Value), DTA (Decision Tree Analysis), and even EVM (Earned value Management) were present in plenty. Understand how to work with the theory behind the calculations and it is much simpler to solve these questions. Expect questions on Duration and Cost Sensitivity analysisCritical Path and Critical chain to find "float" or "slack" questions. (Refer to Chapter 8)
  14. Probability distribution, Triangle, PERT, Beta Distribution and standard deviation - At least 5-7 intimidating statistical Monte Carlo analysis "what-if" and "sensitivity analysis" questions were asked. The answers to which are rather simple but ensure you familiarize yourself with the formulae and tools.  (Refer to Chapter 8)
  15. Terms like LogNormal Distribution, Rectangular Distribution, Asymmetrical Distribution, Discrete Distribution, S-curve are not exposed anywhere in PMBOK Guide. Latin Hypercube - Usually used as a wrong option in questions is easy to eliminate if you understand what it means.  (Refer to Chapter 8)
  16. Risk Response Strategies for negative and positive risks are part of 5-6 scenario based questions. (Refer to Chapter 9)
  17. Change requests and Workarounds - Understanding when to apply a change request and when a workaround is implemented is important. Expect 4-5 questions on the same. (Refer to Chapter 10)

As you can see, this is an excellently articulated book covering all aspects of Risk Management through real-life examples alongside Primavera and Monte Carlo references. While this is my personal recommendation, do skim through the PMBOK Guide and the Practice Standard for Risk Management. 

— Sindhu Sreenath, PMP, RMP, Program Manager, Intel Corporation

PMP Success Story of Sindhu Sreenath: 25-Day Study Plan for PMP exam

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“ Satya’s eBook – "I Want To Be A RMP"
Perhaps, I was one of the fortunate ones who has the access to review Satya's book - "I Want to be a RMP"

In my view, the key points from this book are noted below. 
  • Inputs, Tools & Techniques and Outputs (ITTOs) are extremely important from the RMP exam standpoint. These are explained well with process flow diagrams.Need to remember all. 
  • Other than ITTOs for the RM processes, if you have time, grasp the ITTOs in Communication management and Stakeholder management knowledge area.
  • There are two full length mock exams in the book, other than the practice questions at the end of every chapter. They are difficult enough and bit difficult than the actual exam. 
  • The book uses Primavera Risk Analysis tool as a reference to give practical understanding. If you don’t have or have not used Privamera Risk analysis, you can substitute by Companion Minitab, @Risk or other Risk Management software. Trying Monte Carlo simulation (this book uses Primavera Risk Analysis to explain) by using software would be give you better understanding.  
  • The book is a bit pricey, considering it is accessible (one year access). However, I got a very good discount on it. Maybe some options needed to rent this book for a few months (depending on your need) to reduce the cost. 

— Hendro Hadiwinoto, PMP, ACP, RMP, Project Manager, PT Datacomm Diangraha

RMP Success Story of Hendro Hadiwinoto: Go for It and Enjoy The Journey


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Book Review – "I Want To Be A RMP"
I decided to buy this book because it was the only one available with mathematical understanding, simulations (e.g.,Monte Carlo) and calculations. This book shows all the interactions between knowledge areas and Risk Management and also highlights the importance of Risk management when interaction happens. 

The second Mock Exam in the book was very useful, because it has a number of situational questions and they very tricky.

I am really proud of the Satya’s Book because it deeply showed me how to use the Monte Carlo Analysis or graphs in risk management. About 20 questions were related to the simulation and calculation in my exam. Can you imagine? 

— Rodrigue Nkamga Fotso, RMP, PMP, Project Manager-Rig at DDW-Dubai


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Book Review – "I Want To Be A RMP"
I came across several profiles on LinkedIn with the RMP qualification in addition to the PMP designations and this brought a lot of restlessness in me as to what is in the qualification which these people pursued. I did my research on the qualifications and found that the it is highly regarded in the industry in as far as risk management in a project environment is concerned. I also found that the qualification is also one of the popular certification from PMI. 

I bought the PMI-RMP Exam Prep Book, I Want To Be A RMP by Satya Narayan Dash. The book has easy to understand well explained material. The questions are good for one to take them to have a feel of the actual exam questions.

— Francis T Makamure PMP®,PMI-RMP®, PMI-ACP®, ITIL, Business Process Management Lead - PMO, Accenture

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Book Review – "I Want To Be A RMP"
As soon as I decided to go for the PMI-RMP certification,  reached out to Satya Sir since he was my coach for the PMP certification. It was at the same time that he had released the 2nd edition of his popular book: I Want To Be A RMP

I had already known about his popular book for PMP aspirants, I Want To Be A PMP and had used his PMP Live Lessons which was in videos. Hence it was a no brainer and I decided to buy his book for RMP preparation.

The book is organized by chapters and it is easy to follow. In addition to ITTOs and the explanation of why it is an ITTO for the particular process, it has additional yogic vision and revision tips which make sure we do not miss the key concepts.

The fascinating aspect of the book is that Satya Sir uses real life situations and examples to drive home the risk management concepts. This helps us to easily understand and remember the concepts.

The book has a separate chapter for mathematical questions along with flash card for mathematical formulas. This helped in my preparation for the mathematical questions which are easy to score.

The book also covers Sensitivity Analysis, Decision Tree analysis, Contingency reserves, Simulations like Monte Carlo, LHS along with examples which is very important from the exam point of view.

— John PS Oliver, RMP, PfMP, PgMP, ACP, PBA, Supply Chain Manager, 22+ years of experience

RMP Success Story of John PS Oliver: Risk Management - Essential for Professional and Personal Success 

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Book Reviews: ACP Exam Prep Book - "I WANT TO BE AN ACP"

Book Review – "I Want To Be An ACP"

Being an avid reader, I prefer reading eBooks as they come in handy, can be easily referenced and searched for any specific information. 

The book, I Want To Be An ACP, is divided into chapters based on each domain of the exam content outline (ECO) and has liberal use of visuals to help even a novice understand the complex concepts. Another key aspect of the book is the videos explaining the concepts of Earned Value Management (EVM) and Conflict Management in a very simple language with examples.  It covers all the seven domains extensively and neatly. Each chapter has Yogic Tips, followed by practice quizzes that make reading interesting and useful in reinforcing the concepts.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone keen on learning about Agile and preparing for ACP exam. In essence, full value for your money.

— Geetu Bharti, Senior Scrum Developer and passionate Agile QA professional with 9+ years of experience


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Book Review – "I Want To Be An ACP"

Why this Book?
Unlike the PMP® exam, the PMI-ACP® (Agile Certified Practitioner) exam does not have a primary publication for examinees to study. Instead, PMI® provides a list of reference materials. A second source is the PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline. This document covers information about the Agile tools and techniques as well as the Agile knowledge and skills that will be covered in the Exam. 


First of all, you need to plan to acquire a book which covers the content required for the PMI-ACP certification which is the combination of the reading from various topics in the reference books. This saves enormous amount of time and you can position your preparation based on the single quality book. Luckily, I have found one of the best books for preparing PMI-ACP exam is I Want to Be An ACP by Mr Satya Narayanan Dash as this book is written in a conversational manner. As you read the book, you feel that Satya is talking to you. The language of the book is easy to understand and lucid. The style of the writing and the language would appeal to most of the readers.

Book – I Want To be An ACP
I read this book after taking an online course in preparation for the exam and I feel I got more out of this book than I did from the online course. Satya knows how to get us straight into the content that matters and makes even slightly complex concepts relatively simple. I had also read his PMP exam preparation book (I Want To Be a PMP) and was pleased with that, so I'm not surprised. 

Listed below are some key features of this book.
  • It covers many approaches to agile like Scrum, Extreme Programming(XP), Lean, Kanban, Test-Driven Development(TDD), Crystal, Feature-Driven development(FDD) and Dynamic Systems Development Method(DSDM).
  • It covers and organizes chapters which are exactly aligned with the PMI exam content outline. This is very important to understand and helps to clear the exam.
  • It helps you to understand and fill the gaps in your agile knowledge. 
  • The content does not contain any long paragraphs and the reader will not feel lost at any place.
  • Remembering Agile values and principles are no more difficult. Satya’s way of explanations will let you remember them forever.
  • It contains altogether over lots of exercises and 400+ practice exam questions with 3 full length exam sets. These questions can act as a decision point to understand whether you have acquired the knowledge for the chapters.
  • While explaining the different Agile concepts, lots of useful flowcharts and diagrams for explanation are included to further simplify the topics and you will be able to apply the tools and techniques readily in your everyday work.
  • Real-world examples and practices are included to illustrate the Agile concepts and their application.

Chapters in the Book – I Want To be An ACP
Chapter – 1&2: Introduction: These chapters are a starting point to understand what is the theme/rhythm of the book and how does the author cover it completely. It also covers pre-requisites for the exam and an overview of all domains.

Chapter – 3: Agile Principles and Mindset: Well written and elaborated about 4 values and 12 principles which you can remember them forever. This chapter briefly described about key agile concepts such as Agile Framework, Scrum, XP, Lean, Kanban etc. in detailed and easy way to understand. 

Chapter – 4: Value Driven Delivery: Well described about each tools, techniques, knowledge and skills that adds/gives highest value to the customer. Pay attention to this domain as more questions may expect from this chapter.

Chapter – 5: Stakeholder Engagement: If you are a PMP then this chapter would be a refreshment and most of the contents already familiar to you. You will learn more about engaging Stakeholders in Agile environment. 

Chapter – 6: Team Performance: You will learn more about how to form, manage, motivate and resolve conflict for agile team. It also covers what are all the stages team go through and performance charts. 

Chapter – 7: Adaptive Planning: Author has described this chapters with more useful diagrams, examples and real-word scenarios to understand better. Well described about Agile sizing and estimation which are important for the exam.

Chapter – 8: Problem Detection and Resolution: This chapter mainly focus on identifying, solving, visualizing and communicating problems. Author has elaborated this chapter with more diagrams and charts to each topic. Pay attention to Technical Debt, Metrics and Risk management.

Chapter – 9: Continuous Improvement: This chapter covers best practices on how to continuously improve process, product and people. Pay close attention to Five Steps in Retrospectives, Agile hybrid model and Value Stream mapping.

Chapter – 10: How to be a PMI-ACP: Author has described lots of tips and tricky to crack the exam. What to follow before, during and after the exam.

Chapter – 11: Full Length Question and Answer Sets: Overall 360 questions let you know that how much you are ready for the exam and helps you to identify your gaps on concepts.

— Sathish Babu, Sr. Program Administrator, Motorola Solutions Ltd., 12+ years of experience in Product, Project Management and Service Delivery in Telecom domain.



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